Missionaries! Just the word sends shivers down my spine. I LOVE missionaries. I have since I was a little girl. Both of my parents served missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and have subsequently always maintained a very close relationship with the missionaries in our area. It is no surprise that I have a deep seeded love for missionary work. If you are not familiar with Latter Day Saint Missionaries, I am sure you would recognize the two young men roaming your community in black suits and ties, on their bikes, with a Book of Mormon in hand. I feel privledged to know many young men and women serving missions. They are some of the strongest people I know. I would suggest talking to the missionaries if you ever see them, they are chalk full of glorius information and a beautiful message.
Recently my mind has turned to the inspiration and guidance of my best friend who is serving a mission. First off might I say, I have the greatest best friend of all time! Seriously... he is such a stud. He has given his whole heart to the Lord during his service in the mission field. During our weekly correspondance he has taught me so much about the principle of exact obedience. Obeying God's every command with 100% commitment. It was something I was lacking. I would change out of my Sunday clothes right after church, or I would justify a skirt that was right above my kneecap. But to what end? This whole life is about the Lord! Can I not subdue my natural man in small instances too? I mean, if you really think about it, sacrificing 2 years of your entire life is a big commitment, why then can we not sacrifice our social life to make sure we are honoring the sabbath 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning? Its worth it! Its the only real gift we can give back to our Father in Heaven. He has given us literally everything. We can only commit our lives to his cause in hopes that we can show our gratitude.
Then comes this principle on the mission. Exact obedience as a missionary. This includes no e-mailing those outside your family, no calling girlfriends at Christmas, no letters on non-Pdays, no speeding in your car, no long dinner appointments with members, and locking your heart. You are cheating God if you are focused on other things. I made a firm resolve when I was a little girl that I would marry an LDS Returned Missionary in the temple. This is not to say that non-RM's are not amazing people and some of my greatest friends... but I made a choice and have not looked back. When I marry that RM, if they put me before God, we are going to have serious problems. It starts on their missions. If my best friend prioritized me on his mission... we would no longer have a relationship. I am truly blessed in that regard. There is a great talk by Spencer W. Kimball titled, "Lock Your Heart". You can find the link HERE. It is a great talk by a prophet of God about where our focuses should be on our mission.
My best friend put it best when he said, " The [Lord] has given me so much. I want to give Him a gift. I want to give Him me. All of me. All of my might, mind, and strength. And even my heart too, for just this short time..." Isn't it true? What would the world be like if we all committed to giving the Lord our "heart, might, mind and strength" for a short time? For those on the fence about serving a mission, DO IT. It will change your life. You will be blessed, so will your families, and future wives, kids, husbands, etc. For those that are preparing to serve, give it your all. Its the Lord's work, not ours.
I cannot wait to serve a mission, whether when I am 21, or with my husband when I am 65. I WILL serve my Lord almighty. Here is a video to explain a little more about missionaries and missionary service. It is the greatest work you will ever do. I cannot express my passion any more. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I want the world to know!!!
